[JessicaJ]

Austin Nemire Overcomes Challenges in Hoosier Hundred
By Jessica Jenkins

Auto racing's biggest weekend rolled into Indianapolis on Thursday for back-to-back nights of USAC Silver Crown action. Coming off a solid sixth place run at his home race in Toledo, Austin Nemire came ready to continue that momentum. Loaded with cars for the dirt surface in the Indiana State Fairgrounds and pavement at Lucas Oil Raceway, everything seemed to be on track to do just that.

Making his final start as an 18 year old, Nemire hopped in his car to take on the 63rd Hoosier Hundred. However the afternoon got off to a rocky start as power steering issues that plagued them on the way to a twelfth place at Terre Haute returned in practice. Fixing that issue, he went on track once more for qualifying and began to lay down a good time on his one allotted lap. At that point the car hopped out of gear on the backstretch, sending him to the bottom of the speed chart. Upon being sent to the last chance race, the racer from Sylvania, OH looked to race his way into the Feature. But more transmission issues sent him back to the pits halfway through the semi. Opting to use his provisional, all hands were on board as the Nemire-Lesko Racing crew thrashed to make the car run correctly. Rolling on track just moments before the National Anthem, Nemire was strapped in and ready to run 100 laps on the 1 mile dirt fairgrounds track against 30 competitors.

Coming from the back of the field, the #16 began marching up past his fellow racers in methodical fashion. Saving his tires for when he would need them, Nemire was nearing the top twenty at the one-quarter mark. By lap forty he had moved inside the top twenty and was pursuing fifteenth just past halfway. While those ahead of him pitted for tires during a yellow on lap 56, he stayed out to move up to thirteenth. Continuing to complete each lap as other teams ran into trouble, Nemire's fading brakes caused him to back up the corner in order to get a better run off. Sitting eleventh as the lap counter ticked towards twenty to go, his sights were set on taking the next position. A final restart with just seven laps remaining put tenth within reach, but as the green flag waved tenth place began to drive away a little. When the checkered flew, an eleventh place result couldn't even begin to tell the story of all he overcame to claim his fourth top fifteen in as many starts this year.

Switching over to the pavement car and now sitting fifth in Silver Crown points, Nemire's 19th birthday dawned bright and hot at Lucas Oil Raceway. With his family, friends and team around him, a much smoother night was hoped for as the Dave Steele Carb Night Classic got underway. But it was not to be when motor trouble a couple laps into practice brought everything to a screeching halt and set them on the long trip home early.

Despite Friday's disappointment the hard-fought weekend showed the true strength of Nemire and his team. Staying upbeat, focused and working as one, they earned him the best possible finish on Thursday. Nemire expounded, "Everyone, people I hadn't even met before, were coming down giving us stuff. Without help from my crew and everyone else here, we wouldn't have been able to do it." Also key to his success are Wayne Subaru, Taylor Motorsports Products, Bell Helmets, Lucas Oil Center in Evansville IN, KRJ Race Products, Level, Waterville Bodyworks, Graphic Signs, Elliott's Trailers and Maxim Chassis.

Next on the USAC Silver Crown schedule is an appearance at Madison International Speedway in Wisconsin on June 29. To keep up with this rapidly rising young racer, 'like' him on Facebook @AustinNemireRacing.